CRAZY ABOUT BOYS | FINDING THE ONE - Completed✔

EXTRA! EXTRA!!

JOY'S POV

I paced from one end of my room to the other, impatiently. Fear gripped my heart, crippling my feet and I slumped on my bed.

I clicked the side of my phone to see it was already 11pm and my sister wasn't back yet. It was a three hours' journey from her school to home but she has taken over 14 hours already.

I dial her number for the tenth time today but this time around, it's switched off. My heart fails me.

No. I'm over reacting. She's fine. Her battery died. That's probably it.

But she hasn't been answering her calls and all of a sudden it's switched off. Something is definitely wrong.

I hear honking at the gate and I know it's dad.

He probably came home with Big sis. Yeah. That's it!

I jump up from the bed and run out of the room only to find Chima at my door. He had his hand to his eyes, sleepily as he yawned.

"Chima, why are you here?" I bend down to his height.

"Where is big Sis?" he moans and I pick him up.

"Don't worry. You'll see her tomorrow morning. Just go to bed." I say as I pet him to sleep in my arms.

"OK." he answers as I take him to his room which was beside mine.

I push the door open to find Chioma awake on her bed. I go straight to Chima's bed on the other side of the room and lay him down.

"Where is big Sis?" Chioma asks from her bed and I turn to face her.

"Go to bed for now. You'll see her tomorrow, OK?"

"Why can't I see her now?" she asks in her tiny voice.

"Because she came from a very far place and needs to rest."

"OK. Hope she bought chocolate for me?" she smiles and I smile back at her.

"Of course but you'll see it tomorrow. Now go back to sleep." I could see she was very sleepy as she laid back on her bed.

I would go welcome big Sis downstairs. They'll see her tomorrow but for now, they needed their sleep.

I turn to look at Chima who was already asleep and got up from the bed, slowly. I reach the wall and switch off the light before leaving the room.

I hurried down the stairs but stopped on my tracks when I heard my parents discussing in our dialect - Igbo.

"She hasn't come back yet?" I hear dad ask in his stern voice.

"No. I have been trying her number but she is not answering." my mom replies in her confused tone.

"Hmm. Let me try again." he says and I don't hear them talk again.

I go down a step to see he had his phone to his ear. He listens for a while then takes it away from his ear to stare at it.

"Her number is switched off now." he states and my mom yelps.

"Will you calm down, woman? You're going to wake the children up." Dad cautions and she purses her lips, moving from one foot to the other, confused and scared.

Dad looks up to the stairs and I take a step back to hide myself, my heart pounding hard in my chest.

"Let's wait till tomorrow to see what happens next." he states and with that, I climb up the stairs quietly and make my way to my room.

I lock the door then slump on my bed. I inhale sharply as a tear stings my eye.

She's fine. Nothing happened. She's fine.

I say in my head over and over again before drifting off to a familiar darkness.

***

I moaned and turned on my bed before flinging my eyes open. I sat up immediately and grabbed my phone from where it was on the bed.

Checking the time to see it was 9am in the morning, I got up from the bed immediately.

We've been on vacation for two weeks now so I wasn't worried because of school.

I ran out of my room to my sister's and barged in.
"Big Sis!" I call but find the room as she had left it since October.

"She's not back yet?" I mutter and run out of the room, hurrying down the stairs but stop when I hear my mom sobbing uncontrollably.

"If you do not control yourself, I will make sure to control you my own way." Dad orders but my mom turns a deaf ear to him, crying her eyes out.

"What's happening? Where's big Sis?" I make my presence known and mom starts to dry her eyes.

Dad turns his back at me, his hands behind him.

"Dad. Mom." I call and take the last step off the stairs and enter the sitting room.

"Go back to your room."  Dad orders but I don't move from where I am. It was like I was stuck to the ground.

The door opens and Uncle John walks in. Uncle John is my father's brother and also works for the Police.

Uncle John is a tall lanky man who shares similar features with my dad - the dark skin colour and straight face.

He's a very busy man and most of the appearances he makes at our house is strictly professional.

"Joy. Have you suddenly lost your manners? Can't you greet your uncle?" Dad snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Good - Good morning, Daddy. I mean Uncle John." I stutter.

He spares me a small smile which doesn't reach his eyes before going towards my dad. He bends his head a little and whispers something to him.

Mom stares at them, so many questions in her eyes likewise me.

"Are you sure?" Dad's eyes widen but goes back to normal immediately.

"100% sure but we still need to double check. The accident was fatal but she must be around there somewhere. I've sent a few of my men to check it out. I should get a clearer report by the end of today." he tries to whisper each word but his very deep loud voice fails him.

"Dad, what's happening?" I ask as a tear rolled out of my eye.

"I said, go to your room!" he snaps and I take a step back, startled before running up the stairs.

I enter my room and slump on my bed, crying uncontrollably.

I hear someone else enter and I look up to see it was mom. I bury my head back in my pillow, the tears not stopping.

"Joy, stop crying." she begs as she rubs my back with her hand.

I remove my face from the pillow and sit up slowly, the tears taking turns to fall.

"Mom, what's happening?" I ask, my voice cracking as the words came out.

"We don't know yet but there was an accident where your sister last called from. Your Uncle says she wasn't among the people in the bus."

"But-"

"But I'm sure there's a mistake. Maybe it's not her bus." Mom says but she sounded nothing like convincing to me. Instead, she sounded like she was trying to convince herself.

My mouth quivers as tears comes flooding out of her eyes. My mom was crying helplessly right in front of me and I was staring like I didn't have the power to move at all.

"What's happening?" is the only thing my mouth could utter.

***

And, COMPLETED!